London's Southbank Undercroft Celebrates 50 Years as World's Oldest Skate Spot

The Undercroft Skate Space at London's Southbank Center, recognized as the world's oldest continually used skate spot, marks its 50th anniversary. A new exhibition at the Southbank Center, Britain's largest arts complex, focuses on the space's history. The Undercroft was saved from redevelopment into retail units in 2013 by a grass-roots campaign that gathered 150,000 petition signatures. Réda Tahiri, a 37-year-old skater originally from Casablanca, Morocco, signed the petition from afar and later moved to London, skating regularly at the Undercroft alongside legends he once watched in videos. The space, with its concrete banks and steep angles, has been a pilgrimage site for skaters worldwide. The relationship between skaters and the Southbank Center has sometimes been tense due to the contrast between the space's community value and its prime London real estate market value.